FIG. 1 is a front view of a shoulder pad 10, in accordance with athletic equipment known in the prior art. The shoulder pad 10 is similar, for instance, to the shoulder pad disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,242 to Mitchell. The shoulder pad 10 includes a chest plate 12 held together at the front by a lace 14. The chest plate 12 is attached to chest padding 16 and neck padding 18 at an interior side of the chest plate 12. A shoulder cap 20 is either formed integral with the chest plate 12 at a top of the chest plate 12 or is rigidly connected to the chest plate 12 at the top of the chest plate 12. A shoulder flap 22 rests on the shoulder cap 20 and is connected to the shoulder cap 20 by a main hinge strap 24. An upper arm flap 26 is also connected to the shoulder cap 20 by an ancillary hinge strap (not shown). Snubber straps 28 further connect the shoulder flap 22 to the shoulder cap 20, restricting movement of the shoulder flap 22 relative to the shoulder cap 20.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the shoulder pad 10 of FIG. 1, in accordance with athletic equipment known in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 2, a left upper arm flap 26 has been raised to its fullest extent by user's arm. More specifically, the upper arm flap 26 is mobile as it is only connected to the shoulder cap 20 by the ancillary hinge strap (not shown). However, mobility of the upper arm flap 26 is limited by the limited mobility of the shoulder flap 22. The mobility of the shoulder flap 22 is limited by the combination of the main hinge strap 24 and the snubber straps 28. For a quarterback who needs to raise his arm on every pass attempt or for a receiver or pass defender who regularly needs to reach over his head to reach a pass, this shoulder pad 10 constricts the ability of the player to perform at the highest level.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.